Marotta: ‘Inter show courage with Chivu, unprepared for Inzaghi’ decision | OneFootball

Inter President Beppe Marotta insists picking Cristian Chivu is ‘a show of courage’ from the club after they were left ‘partly unprepared’ for Simone Inzaghi’s departure.

This has been a rough time for the Nerazzurri, who ended the season empty-handed after missing out on the Scudetto by a single point, then losing a devastating Champions League Final to Paris Saint-Germain with a 5-0 scoreline.

epa12148206 Lautaro Martinez of Inter looks disappointed after losing the UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Internazionale Milano in Munich, Germany 31 May 2025. EPA-EFE/FILIP SINGER

“If you win, then you are great, but if you lose then far less,” confessed Marotta at the Festival della Serie A in Parma.

“The debacle of a week ago is part of football, but finishing second in the most important football tournament in the world is something extraordinary and getting there twice in three years even more so. It’s true, there is disappointment, but this is part of the sport.

“On Monday we will get together to begin training for the Club World Cup and this too is something to be proud of, but in football everything gets burned up extremely quickly and there is so much unpredictability. For example, on Tuesday our coach told us that his tenure at Inter was over.”

Inter ‘unprepared’ for Inzaghi exit

epa12148298 Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi walks past the trophy after losing the UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Internazionale Milano, in Munich, Germany, 31 May 2025. EPA-EFE/ANNA SZILAGYI

When Inzaghi informed the club he had accepted an offer to take over at Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, they had to scramble for a new coach.

An approach for Cesc Fabregas was rejected by Como, while there are reports they also went for Jose Mourinho of Fenerbahce and Genoa’s Patrick Vieira, before settling on Parma boss Chivu.

“Because it was so close to the Champions League Final, we didn’t really broach the subject before then, but also Inzaghi only made his decision on Monday after the defeat,” insisted Marotta.

“I read newspapers say that we were confused, but we were simply processing this decision that found us partly unprepared, and we made a move consequently.”

Inter have chosen Chivu

MILAN, ITALY – JANUARY 21: FC Internazionale Milano former player Cristian Chivu looks on prior to the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and AS Roma at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on January 21, 2018 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images)

Fabregas clearly seemed to be the first choice to take over from Inzaghi, who had been at the helm for four years.

“The media was giving the most outlandish names and the first thing you must do when changing coach is to identify the right profile, create a strategy between the owners and management. The right profile was a young coach who could make the most of the youth academy.”

Although there is no formal announcement yet, because Chivu is still technically under contract with Parma, Marotta did name the Romanian tactician.

“Inter is a big club with the obligation to participate in certain competitions aiming to win. You don’t just need money to win tournaments, but also other qualities, qualities that we feel we have identified in Cristian Chivu.

“This is a show of courage from us, one of pure leadership. The important thing is to have a strong club and a specific strategy in place,” concluded the President.